Chapter 13

There is a good deal in the fact, that several women of that name, who are famed in our national traditions, stand connected with the ghostly Berhta; they have been adopted out of the divine legend into the heroic legend. In Italy and France, a far distant past is expressed by the phrase: 'nel tempo ove Berta filava,' when B. Span (Pentamerone. Liebrecht 2, 259), 'au tems que la reine Berthe filait:' the same idea still, of the spinning matron. (62) Berta, the daughter of king Flower and of Whiteflower, afterwards the wife of king Pippin and mother of the great hero Charles, she who in the MLG. poem of Flos is called both Vredeling and Brehte (1555. 7825), does not belie her mythic origin. (63) She is called Berhte mit dem fuoze (foot), Flore 309; in French, Bertha au grand pied; and acc. to the Reali di Franza 6, 1: 'Berta del gran pie, perche ella aveva un pie un poco maggior dell altro, e quello era il pie destro,' had the right foot larger. The French poet Adenez tries apparently to extenuate the deformity by making both her feet large, he calls her 'Berte as grans pies' (Paris ed. LII. 78. 104); so the Mid. Dutch, 'Baerte met ten breden voeten,' Florîs 3966. But the one big foot is more genuine, as may be seen by the far more ancient tradition of a 'reine Pédauque, regina pede aucae,' whoe figure stands carved in stone on old churches. (64) It is apparently a swan-maiden's foot, which as a mark of her higher nature she cannot lay aside (any more than Huldra her tail, or the devil his horse hoof); and at the same time the spinning-woman's splayfoot that worked the treadle, and that of the trampling dame Stempe or Trempe. If we had older and minuter descriptions of 'frau Berhta' in Germany, perhaps this foot would also be mentioned in them (see Suppl.).

It still remains for us to explain her precise connexion with a particular day of the year. It is either on Dec. 25 (dies natalis), or twelve days after Christmas, on Jan. 6, when the star appeared to the Three Kings (magi), that the christian church celebrates the feast of the manifestation of Christ under the name of epiphania (v. Ducange, sub v.), bethphania or theophania (O. Fr. tiephaine, tiphagne). In an OHG. gloss (Emm. 394), theophania is rendered giperahta naht, the bright night of the heavenly vision that appeared to the shepherds in the field. (65) Documents of the Mid. Ages give dates in the dative case: 'perchtentag, perhtennaht' (for OHG. zi demo perahtin taga, zi deru Perahtûn naht); again, 'an der berechtnaht,' M. Beham (Mone, anz. 4, 451); 'ze perhnahten,' MB. 8, 540 (an. 1302); 'unze an den ahtodin tac nâh der Perhtage,' till the eighth day after the Perht's (fem.) day, Fundgr. 110, 22; 'von dem nehsten Berhtag,' MB. 9, 138 (an. 1317); 'an dem Prehentag,' MB. 7, 256 (an. 1349);---these and other contracted forms are cited with references in Scheffer's Haltaus p. 75, and Schm. 1, 194. (66) Now from this there might very easily grow up a personification, Perchtentac, Perchtennaht, the bright day becoming Bright's, i.e., dame Bright's, day. (Conrad of Dankrotsheim, p. 123, puts his milde Behte down a week earlier, on Dec. 30.) (67)

Two hypotheses present themselves. Either the entire fabulous existence of a Perhta first arose accidentally and by misunderstanding, out of such personification; or the analogy of the 'bright' day was tacked on to a previously existing Perhta. Now it is true we cannot point out a dame Perhta before the 15^th or 14^th century, or at earliest the 13^th; but the first supposition need not break down, even if we did manage to hunt up her personal name in older authorities: even in the 9^th century the expression 'perahtûn naht' might have developed into 'Perahtûn naht'. Still the characteristics we have specified of a mythical Berta, and above all, her identity with Holda, seem to me to decide the matter the other way. If, independently of the christian calendar, there was a Holda, then neither can Perahta be purely a product of it; on the contrary, both of these adjective names lead up to a heathen deity, who made her peregrination at that very season of yule, and whom therefore the christians readily connected with the sacredness of Christmas and New-year.

I will here group together the features which unmistakably make Holda and Bertha appear in this light. They drive about in waggons, like mother Earth, and promot agriculture and navigation among men; a plough, from which there fall chips of gold, is their sacred implement. This too is like the gods, that they appear suddenly, and Berhta especially hands her gifts in at the window. Both have spinning and weaving at heart, they insist on diligence and the keeping of festivals holy, on the transgressor grim penalties are executed. The souls of infant children are found in their host, as they likewise rule over elves and dwarfs, but night-hags and enchantresses also follow in their train:----all this savours of heathenism.

It is very remarkable, that the Italians too have a mis-shapen fairy Befana, a terror to children, who has sprung out of epiphania (befania): on that day the women and children set a doll made of old rags in the window; she is black and ugly, and brings presents. Some say, she is Herod's daughter; Ranke's hist. zeitschr. 1, 717. 'La Befania' (Pulci's Morg. 5, 42). Berni says: 'il di di Befania vo porla per Befana alla fenestra, perche qualcum le dia d' una ballestra'. (68) It would be astonishing, if twice over, in two different nations, a name in the calendar had caused the invention of a supernatural being; it is more likely that, both in Italy, and among us, older traditions of the people have sought to blend themselves with the christian name of the day.

Herodias, of whom we have just been reminded by Befana, will illustrate this even better. The story of Herod's daughter, whose dancing brought about the beheading of John the Baptist, must have produced a peculiarly deep impression in the early part of the Mid. Ages, and in more than one way got mixed up with fables. Religious poets treat the subject in full, and with relish (Hel. 83-5); Otfried seems to leave it out designedly. t was imagined, that on account of her thoughtless rather than malicious act (for the proposal came from her revengeful mother), Herodias (the daughter) was condemned to roam about in company with evil and devilish spirits. She is placed at the head of the 'furious host' or of witches' nightly expeditions, together with Diana, with Holda and Perahta, or in their stead. In Burcard of Worms 10, 1 we read: Illud etiam non omittendum, quod quaedam sceleratae muliers retro post Satanam conversae, daemonum illusionibus et phantasmatibus seductae, credunt se et profitentur nocturnis horis cum Diana paganorum dea vel cum Herodiade et innumera multitudine mulierum equitare super quasdam bestias, et multa terrarum spatia intempestae noctis silentio pertransire, ejusque jussionibus velut dominae obedire, et certis noctibus ad ejus servitium evocari.----Joh. Salisberiensis (d. 1182) in Polycr. 2, 17: Quale est, quod noctilucam quandam, vel Herodiadem vel praesidem noctis dominam, concilia et conventus de nocte asserunt convocare, varia celebrari convivia, &c.----Angerius, episcopus Conseranus (an. 1280): Nulla mulier de nocturnis equitare cum Diana dea paganorum vel cum Herodiade seu Bensozia (69) et innumera mulierum multitudine profiteatur.---Similar statements have passed into later writings, such as those of Martin von Amberg, and Vintler. It is worth noticing, that to the worship of this Herodias, one third of the whole world is ceded, and so a most respectable diffusion allowed. Ratherius (bishop of Verona, but a Frank, b. at Lobi near Cambray, d. 974) in his Praeloquia (Martene and Durand 9, 798. Opp. edit. Ballerini pp. 20. 21): Quis enim eorum, qui hodie in talibus usque ad perditionem animae in tantum decipiunter, ut etiam eis, quas (Ball. de quibus) ait Gen. (70), Herodiam illam baptistae Christi interfectricem, quasi reginam imo deam propanant; asserentes, tertiam totius mundi partem illi traditam: quasi haec merces fuerit prophetae occisi, cum potius sint daemones, talibus praestigiis infelices mulierculas, hisque multum vituperabiliores viros, quia perditissimos, decipientes.---A full and remarkable account of the medieval tradition, that was tacked on to Herodias, is contained in the Reinardus 1, 1139-1164:



ENDNOTES:

62. I can produce another spinning Bertha. The Vita S. Berthae Avennacensis in diœcesi Remensi (conf. Flodoardus 4, 47) sas (Acta Sanctor., Maii p. 114b): Quae dum lustraret situs loci illius, pervenit ad quendam hortum, in quo erat fons mirae pulcritudinis. Quem ut vidit Deo devota femina, minime concupivit, sed possessoribus ipsius praedii sic locuta est: O fratres, hunc fontem praedii vestri vendite mihi, et accepta digna pecunia cedite usibus nostris. Cui sic aiunt: En praesto sumus, si tamen detur pretium a nobis taxatum. Sancta autem, videntibus qui aderant, libram unam denariorum posuit super lapidem qui erat super os ejusdem fontis, domini vero ac venditores receperunt aes. Tunc sancta mater, Deo plena, colo quam manu tenebat coepit terram fodere, et in modum sulci rigam facere, orans ac dicens: Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam, et salutare tuum da nobis! Revertens namque monasterium, colum eadem post se trahebat, tantaque abundantia aquae eam sequebatur, ut ad usus omnes hominibus pertinentes sufficeret, sicut usque hodie apparet. Nomen quoque sancta mater fluviolo ipsi composuit dicens: Libra vocaberis, quia una libra pro emptione tua data est. Back

63. How firmly she is rooted, may be seen by her being the link that joins the Carolingian legend to the Langobardic: she is mother of Carl, wife of Pippin the son of Rother (4789), and daughter of Flore and Blancheflor, whose name again contains the notion of whiteness. Back

64. Altd. w. 3, 47-8; Paris too connects this Pédauque wit Berte, iii. iv. 198; reine Pedauque, Michelet hist. de France 1, 496-8. 2, 152. Back

65. Luke 2, 9. O. i. 12, 3. 4. Hel. 12, 8. Maria 182. Back

66. The OHG. 'pherintac = parasceve' (Graff 5, 360) is Good Friday, and distinct from Prehentag, Perchtentag. Back

67. Dec. 28 is Innocents', 29 St. Thomas's, 31 St. Silvester's. Back

68. Franc. Berni, rime 105. Crusca sub v. befana. Back

69. Ducange sub v. Diana spells Benzoria, but has the true meaning under Bensozia itself; it seems to mean bona socia, friendly propitious being. Bona dea, Dio Cass. 37, 35. 45. Conf. ch. XXVIII, dobra sretia, bona Fortuna; ch. XVI, good wife, under Wood-women. Back

70. Ballerini cannot understand this Gen.; is it Gennadius (Massiliensis), a writer at the end of the fifth century? Back